To revive the diminishing culture of reading, what we immediately need is to inculcate the love for books in our children. Besides, an extended network of public libraries coupled with readers clubs can rejuvenate this habit.
It is believed that “readers are leaders”. Most of the developed nations would not be what they are today without spread of literacy and predilection of reading in the common people. As literacy grew, people began to ask questions and not just accept whatever they were told. This resulted in many important revolutions that developed the modern world as it is today.
Modern technologies have impacted the functional activities of all walks of life, forcing some drastic lifestyle changes in humans everywhere in the world. Internet-driven devices and digital media have impacted the book reading culture in Kashmir. People now mostly prefer to watch visuals and read electronic mode of content than book reading.
Earlier, the book lovers would be enthused to hold a book in hand, shuffle through its pages and smell the paper and ink. Now it is a small device you scroll, no smell of ink or paper, just lifeless words. As the academic sector have become more competitive, students, instead of reading for enriching their wisdom, read to better their percentages in examinations. This trend too has impacted the book reading culture.
Interestingly, there is divided opinion on whether the shift is good or bad. Some say since the change is universal and unavoidable, better to accept and adopt it. But some say that abandoning hard copies of books will have long-term and adverse repercussions on society. They suggest that the young population should be motivated to ensure they do not abandon the book reading culture.
It is generally observed that people now prefer to watch visuals and read electronic mode of content than (physical) book reading. “Earlier, the book lovers would be enthused to hold a book in hand, shuffle through its pages and smell the paper and ink. Now it is a small device you scroll, no smell of ink or paper, just lifeless words.
The fact is that the ‘age of internet’ and the ‘era of smartphones’ as well as ‘excessive use of social media platforms/ handles’ have impacted significantly the book reading culture. How much helpful or harmful has this impact been? What changes has the use of the internet/ smartphones brought especially in book reading culture? Has book reading culture faded or flourished with the use of the internet and smartphones?
Interestingly, there are varied opinions on the question/ issue at hand. Some say it’s good and has helped in making accessible the books which were unavailable or inaccessible; others believe that technology has no doubt brought changes, but it has not reduced the number of avid and voracious readers in our society.
It’s a popular saying that a room without books is like a body without a soul. But unfortunately, since the last few years, it is a sad reflection that the culture of reading has also persistently been declining not only in country but all around the world.
As a result, we are growing more intolerant and biased in our social behaviours which is also indicative of our intellectual decay. The strength of people in libraries is decreasing with every passing day. Newspaper vendors are shutting shops, children are not reading anymore.
The habit of book reading is declining when we talk about reading physical books, newspapers, etc, but not digital reading. Reading isn’t dying. People, in a sense, read all the time. Whether it be this prompt, social media messages, notifications and news reports, people are always reading. But the reading span has drastically reduced. We are now scrolling, not actually reading enough to hold our attention.
The root of the problem lies in our flawed education system that doesn’t encourage students to read books other than their specified textbooks. Parents also do not encourage their children to read any more. The popularity of digital devices and the internet has also brought a decline in book reading habits.
The truth of the day is that digital addiction is shrinking our memories and eroding our attention span. Fear is growing that unless we learn to unplug now, we will become the slaves of technology. According to a study by Microsoft, an average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds. This is a sharp decrease from 12 seconds in the year 2000. By the way, the attention of a goldfish is put at nine seconds.
The art of reading, the fundamental skill, which is the passport to all learning, is losing its charm fast. But it needs to be revived. We need to start from scratch. Capabilities of reflection, analogical understanding, critical inquiry, and empathy are developed by in-depth readings.
Digital reading, especially if introduced in early childhood, encourages skimming while discouraging reflective interaction with the text. To revive the diminishing culture of reading, what we immediately need is to inculcate the love for books in our children. Besides, an extended network of public libraries coupled with readers clubs can rejuvenate this habit.
Moreover, a media campaign can also play a vital role in rescuing this shredding culture. The importance of reading needs to be stressed and restored among children and adults alike. They should be told that spending time on something worth is never wasted and what’s more worth than reading a book. Weaving the digital way of education with the old style of studying may go a long way in reviving the age-old learning tradition. Reading habits should never die.
